Xbox One to restrict Skype to Xbox Live Gold members
Limitations, limitations and more limitations. If you want to experience many of the features that Microsoft has in store for the Xbox One console, you had better have a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription ready to go. Microsoft has confirmed several of the console's major features will require Xbox Live Gold access.
In a page on the Xbox.com site, Microsoft has a list of all the Xbox One features that will need an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Besides features like playing multiplayer games and accessing streaming videos apps that are already required for the Xbox 360, Xbox Live Gold members who own the Xbox One will be the only ones to use its Skype chat program, the OneGuide television guide menu, the SmartMatch multiplayer matching service and the Game DVR options that let gamers record, save and upload game footage.
Even Internet Explorer apparantly requires a Live subscription.
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You could argue that skype would be handy as an in-game voice chat service, but Xbox already had this feature so skype just seems a little redundant, and also less practical for games.
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Can the NSA not pay for it? you know since Microsoft lets them listen
Also they tried this with the BBC iplayer too years ago
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I'm fine with that as long as they still offer a free game every two weeks.
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Sick of the XBOX bashing by GURU3D
I am so sick of the blatant bias GURU3D is showing for the Playstation. You guys are supposed to report the news in a UN-BIASED manner. I currently own both systems and will own both next gen systems as well so I am a fan of both. I just think it's sad and unprofessional of the writers here to continually dump on Microsoft when it is clear that although some missteps were made initially they have come out and made up for most every mistake (by listening to the customers!). Come on guys give it a rest already and judge the consoles when they're released and the games are available. Only then will any of us be able to make a proper judgement.
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Doesn't bother me. Gold subscription is not that much money plus the network is still years ahead of PSN. It costs money for them to add features like this. Sony just figured this out this generation.